All the Pretty Little Ponies
by RchHghr
Summary: How do you cope with losing half of your crew? Jet and Faye will just have to figure things out.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for my obsession with Kenny Loggins Children's CD. Lol. Enjoy!

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I used to be so lucky. I'm lady luck after all. I bring luck and good fortune wherever I go. Every time I walked into the casino heads turned and men dropped at my feet.

Now…now I have nothing. I've always felt like that, but now, there's nothing left to really care about. It's so quiet, there's not much money for everything. Even thinking about that statement I have to laugh to myself. We never had any money anyways. Food was always a problem. We had four mouths and a mutt to feed. Now, it's just two mouths and with the state of things there's not really an appetite.

Lights that used to glow dim no matter where we were are left off. There's no worry about tripping over sleeping children or mutts laying this way and that. I tripped over the kid once and almost broke my nose. I laugh at that memory now too because at the moment I wanted to ring her neck.

Now there isn't the chance of doing that. There isn't a dog dish to accidently step on spilling dry dog food out all over the place.

There's no man sleeping on the couch with a book over his face. There's not a chance the ink of words of wisdom drying up on oily skin. There's no fighting over who's cigarettes fell into the cushion or the rare woolong bills in there as well.

Now there is just the solitude nobody craves. No matter what they say, even myself speaking, nobody wants to be alone. They may get on your nerves and drive you insane but when the quiet settles in after the disappearance it just plain right sucks. I want to hear the clicking of keys, the reading of under the breath when something of interest pops up. I want to wake up with someone in my face looking at me with a vacant expression. I want to ask them why they are being so weird or why the dog is sleeping on my back when he has other shipmates to sleep on top.

It hasn't even been that long, and we're docked somewhere far away from the terrible scenes and now it just feels like lead balloons.

Pulling my jacket up over shoulders and zipping it up to my neck I slip on my boots and go in search of Jet. It's not really hard to find him. Usually he's been in the same place he always is- attending his trees. They have seen better days and the negative energy isn't helping to make matters better.

"I'm going to take a walk, I'll be back later," I say from the doorway. He doesn't look my way. I know he's heard me because his clipper pauses and it lowers. I know what he's thinking because I think the same thing. He thinks I'm going to leave and never come back. I think the same thing but I just switch the roles around. I'm not going to leave. There is too much in my life that in the scene the person left me. Wherever I go I know I'll be back, and even though I won't say it out loud to him I hope he is thinking the same thing.

"Do you need anything?" I question. Cigarettes? Candy bar? Flashlight? I don't say options out loud but I wish he would say something so he knows that I'll come back; that I have to bring the item back to him.

"No," he says with that quiet voice he's retorted to since everything happened. I don't like it. I like when he's yelling at someone or complaining we're all dead beats just hanging around sucking up all the oxygen.

"Okay," I say. That's it, just one word and then the silence hangs in the air. He picks up the clippers and resumes his work.

I pull my hood up and turn to leave when I hear, "you look nice today."

I look down at myself. I think it's because I'm wearing clothes. I'm wearing winter boots and jeans that cuff at the ankle. I still have my favorite cotton red jacket.

Walking with my echoing steps I head out down the dock and curse the snow. Of course it has to fall right now. The heavy clouds in the sky could have held out longer. But I can't stop the snow from falling. I can't stop anything that wants to do what it wants to do.

The people in town go about their business. Work, no matter what aspect doesn't stop because of the snow. A woman ready to give the rest of her soul stands in the shadow between two buildings: a hookah lounge and a drug store. Our eyes meet and then they go back to the cigarette she wishes would last longer.

A dock town, the boats really don't seem to be doing anything. Most success must've dried up years ago. All I see are ships bobbing on the water. Names on the sides have faded with the salt washes away dreams of people who must've used them to make their living.

If I was them Id consider joining that lady. She makes money with the cost of her soul. They sold their souls for this success. Same thing.

Keeping my head lowered, figuratively, I keep the wall between wandering eyes and the flirtatious words from men that I used to crave. I don't want it anymore. I don't want anything. Sooner or later it's going to disappear and I'll be left with nothing. It's better to have nothing so I don't have to set myself up for disappointment.

Two young kids run in my path. They stop infront of me spraying some kind of string out of cans that tangle in their hair.

I clear my throat and they both look at me.

"Watch where you are going." My voice sounds so neutral I'm reminded of having conversations when I'm in alter states. When my head is high in the clouds my voice doesn't amaze the thoughts in my head.

"Okay, sorry lady," the older of the girls says and they take off with the taller one chasing the smaller one.

I watch them laugh and play. They are happy. They don't have a care in the world. They're parents must keep the magic in their childhood. I don't have one, at least I don't remember. The video brings blurs, but that's all they are. I don't know that girl. I don't know why she is so happy.

I don't know how anyone can be happy. I don't know how these people who miss so much keep going on with their lives as if everything is normal.

I don't know- there's a pen with ponies. I know their ponies.

My eyes roam. It must be a dairy/farm for the food of town. This must be the last resort at keeping themselves independent. But it isn't much… there's two cows, a pig and the four little ponies. Whatever is in the building is a mystery to the outside. The windows are covered by black cloth.

My eyes go to the ponies and my feet carry me over to the fence. Two children linger with a little boy sitting on the fence and a young girl standing with her back to the fence. They whisper about the ponies. I know they do because they claim ownership to the black one and the white one speckled with black dots. They pay me no attention.

I lean on my arms and the white one comes over to me. I don't have anything to feed it except a butter candy in my pocket. I take it out and unwrap it. Holding it between two fingers I hold it out and it takes it with its human like teeth. It crunches the sticky candy loudly and then puts it's big pony nose on my chest. He makes weird pony noises.

I pet his head and run my fingers through its hair. It's better than mine. If only it was purple and shorter.

Even when I stop petting him he still stays with his nose pressed up to my chest. He could be cold. He's getting coated in the falling snowflakes.

A woman shouts loud in a language I do not understand. She shouts a long string of whatever it is. The two kids snap to attention, but they both smile excitedly at each other. The little boy says to the girl, "moms making your favorite cake. When dad comes home from work tonight we can eat the cake and ride the ponies."

"Maybe one day we can really have the ponies as our family like how mom saved me when the ship crashed my sister went to heaven."

"You were happy, then sad, but then a long time later you became happy again because everything worked out right in the end."

They both take off running and I don't realize that I'm crying until I feel my chapped cheeks. She got her happy ending, where is mine!? When do I get to have something again. I already went through the good, the video and now I'm in the bad with having what I was used to getting up and walking away. When do I get the after like her and the family, cake and freaking ponies?

The pony butts his head at my chin and I pet it again. "You will have that family. They may get heavier and heavier on your back, but they won't leave you."

I give his head a finally pet and walk away. Im wet from the snow and am getting cold. I hurry to buy a pack of cigarettes and a bag of chocolate filled crackers.

The ship is warm even though it feels cold. The cold lingers in the empty. Unlike hot air that expands like a balloon cold air hangs in wisps. If it was spider webs I'd be tangled.

I find Jet where I left him. I haven't been gone that long; a half hour at the most. He looks up at me. I toss him the crackers filled with chocolate and he catches them.

"Thank you, for what you said. You wouldn't believe the scene I just saw in town."

"I swear Faye if they come looking for-" I smile because it's the normal I'm so used to hearing in his voice.

"Nothing like that, it was a conversation between two children. We had the good, we're in the bad and soon enough we have to be in the good again. Do you believe that?"

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Thank you for reading chapter 1.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jet makes some noodles for dinner. They're seasoned with bagged spice. There's enough for the two of us because it's only the two of us. We each get a whole bowl in which we eat in silence. After, he sits in front of the sitting room computer and goes through the latest bounties.

I approach slowly and stand behind him looking over his shoulder at the screen.

"It's all small fries," he says.

"Small or not we need something to bring fuel for the ship and ourselves."

"Hm," he agrees.

"This one looks fun," I say, one hand on his shoulder and the other to point at the screen.

Hamlet Arington, he is a hired hit man who took it upon himself to kill the clients and the hits.

…..And then whomever he wanted to.

"Says his usual hangout is a bar not too far away from here and is a regular patron," I add, "I wonder why he still walks free since this bounty is one month old."

"He has a lot of clients," Jet says, "who knows how many frequent that one bar?"

"I'm thinking I want a drink or four. You care to join me?"

He nods.

I'm going as I am so I sit in front of the computer and chain smoke the last of my cigarettes. I scan bounties. It looks like a one person, or even a two person job, but it never hurts to have backup. It can change the odds, and even make it fun.

I put out the last cigarette in the ash tray. Four cigarettes dirty the tray that was previously clean.

He dresses normal, only he wears a heavy jacket and hat to accommodate the weather.

I should do the same thing, but with a body like this, why hide it?

Well, I used to like the attention more than I should. It may have gotten me into more situations that I cared to get into. I don't want that attention anymore. I don't want anything anymore because it'll just disappear like everything else in my life.

We walk to the bar. It isn't very far. He wants to walk and smoke; so much for displaying clean ash trays.

I bum one off of him and that's the only conversation we have. The metal of his arm and the cold of the night do not compare to the cold and distance of him and his silence. I feel the same way as he does, but, even if it's just a little, I try to make conversation.

It just goes completely out the window.

I flick the cigarette into the gutter and pull up my hood and stuff my hands in my pockets.

The bar is a sloppy joint with sloppy people. All men; they are nothing to look at, and not worth any time at all. Just by the looks of these men, I know they don't have any money.

We take a seat at the bar and order drinks. I don't waste any time and drink half of it already. I didn't even throw up a cheer for him.

Eyes diligent, the bar shows no sign of the man we are after. None of these other ones hold a familiarity to the pictures that were on the screen.

Jet finishes his drink and calls the bartender over. He shows the picture and the bartender shakes his head. "He was taken out this morning, sorry."

Jet just grunts and the bartender refills his drink. "This one is on the house." He walks away to service a man who has glasses bigger than my wrists.

Two men leer at me. They are cops, but the very sloppy kind who straddle both sides of the fence. I'm not sure they know who I am, but they are staring way too hard.

I nudge Jet with my knee. He looks at me.

"I have a fan club," I say, "I should be drunk by now."

"Cops don't offer. Be careful, their eyes aren't just watching your curves either."

"They're still doing that."

He doesn't say anything to that, but I know he agrees. He said I looked nice today; must've been looking at my curves because he's never said that to me before.

We drink in silence. A game plays on the television, but nobody pays attention to that. A passed out man at the bar is the attention of mine. I don't know if he's alive.

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By closing, I am glad that I am drunk. But this time, no one's attention on me matters. I can't even distinguish their faces anymore. I pay whatever I have in my pocket and leave with Jet. It's colder now. He is drunk, too. At least he isn't _cold. _Too bad I don't want any. I know I could if I wanted to. Too bad I don't have any feelings at all anymore. Normally, at this stage I'd only begin to start my night, now I just want to go to bed.

Maybe the night isn't over yet. The two "cops" step out of nowhere and right into our path. They are drunk too, but they have their badges out. Both their badges too.

Jet and I look at each other with dead eyes. These guys can't be serious. We sat there and drank, end of story. If this is how it's going to be….

"I don't put out past three," I smirk dopily. I just hope I'm not swaying as much as I think I am.

"Word around town is that a couple with very heavy pockets and guns would be making a stop in this very town. We have just what we want to protect the people and make sure they are safe," the taller of the two says and they both pull out guns. Shit! Just when you think your night can't get any worse.

I look to Jet with the same look he is mirroring back. My face narrows into disgust when I look back at them. "Do I look like I have a gun and heavy pockets?"

"You never know what a woman hides in her vagina!?" the dark, short man snaps and I don't have to do anything because Jet shoots both of them. I take his communication device and scan the bounties again and these two are fresh and only worth a little bit of money. They smuggle guns where they aren't supposed to be.

Whoop dee doo.

We give each other the same look.

By the time the money is ours we go back to the ship, it's still quiet and dark. He goes to sleep right away. I hear his snores drift through the ship. My feet carry me through to where I shot the ceiling a few times. It doesn't matter anyways, he still left. Why didn't I just shoot him? At least I'd know. He would not have walked away, I'd've done it first.

If by chance I find him again, or he ever came back I'd shoot him.

I roam about making sure everything is alright. It is. My ship and his ship are the only ones that sit in the pit. Both are in great shape, and both are clean. Whenever I get out of this funk I will roam the skies again.

I will always come back.

A soft beeping comes from within the ship. It's a musical kind of beeping that I've never heard before. I follow it back to the sitting quarter where a sleepy Jet looks at the screen.

"What is that annoying sound?"

"We have a transmission," he says and we both snap to attention.


End file.
